TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew which would prohibit the sale of any coat, jacket or other clothing item made of fur, without a clothing label was approved today by the Senate Commerce Committee.
“This bill has nothing to do with whether you support or oppose wearing fur,” said Senator Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic. “Instead, this bill has everything to do with consumers’ right to know what they’re wearing – whether it’s cotton, silk, polyester, mink or dog fur. The bottom line is that there are people walking around wearing dog fur, who don’t know it. By requiring labels to contain the content of the garment, we would be giving consumers the right to determine what they put on their bodies.”
Senator Van Drew’s bill, S-2653, would require all fur items to contain a label noting the type of animal or animals that produced the fur, as well as the name of the country of origin of any imported fur used.
Violations of the bill’s provisions would be subject to penalties of $500 for a first offense, and up to $1000 for subsequent offenses.
This measure now heads to the full Senate for approval. #
